Going to a breeder is not the only way to acquire a dog. There are tons of second chance dogs who found themselves homeless or never had one. We all know this. Adopting from one of the many organizations that take these dogs in is, by some, considered morally superior to buying a dog from a breeder.
But is it? It depends!
As is the case with trainers and breeders, there is no independent oversight when it comes to rescues. You might expect no regulations are necessary because rescues surely are in it for the right reasons, but sadly that isn’t so.
There are fabulous organizations with caring and skilled people at the helm. We got Bowie from a wonderful small organization, Will from a small humane society, and Davie was privately re-homed— to us.
There are others that are founded and staffed with people who have big hearts, but that unfortunately doesn’t correlate with big knowledge about dogs and behavior.
And then there are organizations, cloaked as rescues, that are run by quantity-driven folk who possess neither knowledge nor big hearts but have an appetite for ego, PR, and most of all: profit. In the dog world they are known as retail rescues. Not all import rescues are retail rescues, but many of them are. It is trendy these days to pluck dogs from every corner of the earth, dozens and dozens, transport them thousands of miles, and adopt, more accurately sell, them to kind families. Regrettably, they get a lot of media attention because, on the surface, they save so many dogs. In reality, they often do nothing more than prolong suffering. Meanwhile wonderful small and true rescues are ignored and have to fight for every donation dollar.
Distinguishing wheat from chaff isn’t any more difficult than weeding out breeders. Quantity is the common denominator. Quantity means dogs need to be moved quickly to make room for more, and more profit. Meat market style mass adoption events are not uncommon, or the potential adoptee is pressured into signing on the dotted line before their chosen dog is transported. Thus, anyone who shows interest becomes the dog’s legal owner in a flash, then picks their unseen new family member up at a central meeting a few weeks later. The truck then heads back to fetch another 50 or more dogs. With this quick turnover, you can see how it is impossible for the organization to have a clue about each dog’s behaviors and health. Yet, they advertise these dogs as assessed: good with people and kids and dogs and all-around fine pooches who only had the misfortune being a stray or having landed in a high kill shelter somewhere. Of course the gruelling transport, possibly having been passed through several homes, being warehoused with 20 or more other dogs in a so-called foster home, or having lived in a stressful shelter environment for months, didn’t adversely affect them either. That’s the fairy-tail told. The facts: sometimes these dogs are amazing, sometimes they are not. You are gambling on it, and when you are out of luck don’t look for help with retail rescue. Chances are you’ll get the standard “Oh, we never saw that. It must be your fault” or: “Too bad, but it’s your problem now” replies. I have seen up to 10 dogs a week like that. Can you end up with a wonderful family member? Absolutely. But it’s a coin toss.
Forced to commit before you met the dog isn’t the only aspect you should investigate when you’re looking for a second-chance dog. Contrary to public belief, there are shelters and SPCAs that aren’t choosy how they train and treat the dogs in their care. Some have no ethical qualm about shocking a rescued dog for giving signals of distress. Others, the ones with big hearts and no knowledge, follow the advice of whoever trainer offers it for free—often either start-ups keen to gain hands-on experience and establish a profile, or shock collar franchisees after PR. Life for the dog who lost his home or was a stray turns from bad to worse, and behavior with it.
Trust me, please believe me, my heart and soul is always with dogs. No matter how they behave, they deserve and should receive our compassion and empathy. No buts about it. But to do right by a dog, you must research the organization. Pity is not enough.
When a dog available for adoption has caught your eye, ask if he was evaluated. If yes, where, by whom, how, and how often. I get it, rescue organizations are strapped for time and money, but a 20-minute checklist assessment done by one person doesn’t provide enough info what that dog is all about.
Find out what training philosophy the organization employs, and don’t go by what it says on their websites alone. That can be as deceptive as that of unconscionable breeders. One local organization’s website stated that they use only gentle methods; at one of their ‘hand-over the unassessed dog to the unsuspecting new owner’ event a volunteer jerked a dog into heel position with such force that he yelped. You wouldn’t believe how many organizations use shock collars. After all, shock instantly shuts a dog’s expressions down and he can quickly be adopted as rehabbed—with the new owner being none the wiser until problems that were simply suppressed resurface.
Pay attention to honesty and real speak, and that starts with the breed. An organization that advertises every lower to the ground brown patchy dog as a beagle cross and every yeller dog with somewhat floppy ears as a Lab mix is either dishonest or clueless. Granted, one can’t go by looks alone, but a dog who looks only remotely like a Lab, and behaves nothing like a Lab, most likely isn’t a Lab and shouldn’t be promoted as such just because it expedites adoption. If the rescue names a breed, ask why they did so. Genes matter.
“Doesn’t like kids, or men or women”. Ask what “doesn’t like” means. What exactly does the dog do? You might be a kid free home, but is your neighborhood? Do none of your friends and extended family members have kids? We got our Davie at the tender age of 16 weeks and she was already in attack mode whenever she spotted a child 5 and under. Yet, she lived a good long life without actually biting one. We loved Davie without reserve and also knew how to keep kids, and by extension her, safe. Not everyone can do that, or is willing to. Solving considerable behavioral problems requires know-how and patience, or the finances to hire support. Do you have that? No shame if you don’t, but then don’t adopt that particular dog. Managing a dog for life is rarely 100% successful.
“Must be the only dog” falls into the same category of vague-speak. Dig deeper, and don’t be satisfied with a “Wants to be the king of the hill” answer that I once saw on an evaluation sheet done by an animal control trainer. Such a comment indicates inexperience or deceit. That particular dog was promptly returned to the shelter. Ask what the dog does, exactly, when he sees another. Barking and lunging when being walked is different than defending a bone and, if it’s the former, your new pooch will bark and lunge on walks where you live. Guaranteed. Which makes outings unpleasant for you and creates more anxiety for your dog. You may not be able to provide enough stimulation for a young energetic dog, especially if you also don’t have a fenced-in space available, which creates additional problems.
When the dog is described as chill in his foster home, find out if it’s a busy household with other dogs he plays with all day? If yes, chilling likely won’t happen in your home of two working adults and no other dogs. Or let’s say at least not after an adjustment period. And if you have a cat, she’ll be the target. True story, and more than once.
Was the dog you are interested in bounced between shelters or foster homes? Sometimes circumstances require that, but some organizations make a habit of it, and each time the dog is moved he experiences again that he is unwanted at the place he just settled into. That dog learns nothing about social safety and belonging, and abandonment-related behavioral problems can develop, or worsen if they already exist The same is the case when a dog is adopted and returned. Sometimes there is a valid reason, but when it happens several times it strongly suggests that that dog can’t function in a normal environment. More likely than not, he won’t in yours either—unless you are very skilled or live on your own island. Then go ahead and adopt that dog.
I know, dogs no one wants tug on our heartstrings the most. Will and Davie were near death before we adopted them and it worked out wonderfully, but that isn’t a given. In the era of popular No-Kill my unpopular opinion is that not every dog can be saved and, for that matter, isn’t. Selective intake means unwanted dogs continue to suffer where they are at, or are euthanized by someone else.
The opposite of you-asking-a-lot-of-questions is you being grilled by the rescue. Some people take offence to such diligence, but a dog is of no lesser value just because she was owned before and costs less. Every mutt out there is as deserving of the best possible home as the carefully bred pureblooded pooch, and a thorough questionnaire is an indicator that the organization cares. Progressive ones not just allow for numerous visits, sleepovers, and a trial period, but insist on it—to be as certain as possible that dog and his new humans mesh. With Bowie we had a trial period of two weeks and could have asked for longer.
In that sense, a good rescue requires that all members in the family, including a dog if there is one—it is more difficult with cats and other animals—meet the potential new addition.
I hope I have convinced you of the importance to put welfare first. Please support an organization that deserves it, and walk away from a dog you only want to adopt because you feel sorry for her. I know it’s sad, but it is sadder still when the most difficult dogs are adopted to the kindest and most caring lay-families. Everyone suffers then.
If there are alarm bells, walk away unless you are looking for a project. Unless you have the means to manage and work with that dog without distressing him even more, and without putting yourself, your family, and dogs and people around you, at risk. Most dogs do find their perfect match. Even the greyhound we fostered who had severe separation anxiety found a place to permanently park his leash and food bowl: with a couple who had just become empty nesters and were looking for a really needy dog to fill the void. It just took a while. Good rescues don’t rush things.
Comments